Canterbury

Hanmer Tracks (Hanmer Springs)

Northern edge of Hanmer Springs | Easy | 1 - 2 hours (5 -15km) | View Hanmer Springs map (GIF, 19 KB) There are some fun tracks which start about 1km out of Hanmer and wind in and out of the forest, including a combination of singletrack, gravel and sealed roads. They start with Dog Stream Track, leading to Joliffe Saddle Track, then Timberlands Trail, which will bring you back to where you started. On the way back, you can cross Jollies Pass Road and get into some more little tracks which will take you into Hanmer.

Bottle Lake Forest (Christchurch)

North-east edge of Christchurch | Easy | 1 - 2 hours (5 -20km return) | View Bottle Lake Forest map (GIF, 9 KB) The three main tracks here have become the most popular riding area in Canterbury. Pick up a map from the car park (50 cents) and plan a loop track around any two of them. One loop takes up to an hour. The far track along the coast is easy, but the rest are more twisty and fun. Watch out for runners, dog-walkers, and horse-riders.

McCleans Island - Christchurch

10km from Christchurch City | Easy | 1 – 2 hours depending on route (15km)
These trails are in the Waimakariri River Regional Park, are reasonably flat and can even be tackled with a bike trailer. There is a great picnic field at the start plus a small coffee shop which hires bikes, and plenty of parking too.